Mission

European Forum of National Nursing and Midwifery Associations

Recognizing the value of dialogue and joint action to promote health and health care in Europe, 26 national nursing and midwifery associations and WHO/Europe signed a declaration of intent in November 1996 to form the European Forum of National Nursing and Midwifery Associations (EFNNMA). EFNNMA serves as a link between international and national policy-makers and the 6 million nurses and midwives in the WHO European Region (who constitute the largest group of health care workers in almost every country).

EFNNMA aims:

to contribute to and influence the debate on improving health and the quality of health care in Europe;
to strengthen and promote the exchange of information, ideas and policies between national nursing/midwifery associations and WHO;
to support the integration of appropriate policies in line with the Health for All philosophy into nursing and midwifery practice and into basic, postgraduate and continuing nursing and midwifery education;
to formulate consensus/policy statements and recommendations on health and nursing/midwifery that can be used to develop national health policy strategies at the national level;
to initiate projects to implement evidence-based practice into nursing and midwifery and undertake pilot projects subject to appropriate sources of funding.

The work of EFNNMA is based on the operational principles adopted after its founding in 1996. The steering committee is elected at the annual meetings and meets four times a year.

The European Forum of National Nursing and Midwifery Associations (EFNNMA) is the voice of nursing and midwifery within WHO European Region. Working in partnership and strategically with WHO and other key stakeholders we aim to influence health policy, improve the quality of health services and the health of people across the 53 Member States of the Region. We are passionate advocates of the central and unique contribution that Nurses and Midwives make to individual and population health and well-being across Europe and are committed to ensuring both professions are supported to deliver excellence in their practice. As the nature of care changes we believe that strengthening and developing the nursing and midwifery workforce through the provision of lifelong learning and research delivers excellence in public health and people-centered healthcare.

The 17th Annual Meeting of the European Forum of National Nursing and Midwifery Associations and WHO took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, 8 – 9 October 2013 in conjunction with the WHO meeting of Government Chief Nursing Officers in the WHO European Region. One of the important outcomes of the meeting are the renewed Operational Principles that support an autonomous functioning of the EFNNMA in its business, administrative and financial issues with a tight collaboration with WHO in the issues of nursing and midwifery in the European region